The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 337 Takeover
From February of the 14th year to September of the 15th year of Chongzhen, a period of nineteen months.

Li Zicheng mobilized hundreds of thousands of troops and opened the seal three times.

But in the end, no matter how hard we try, we can't make any progress.

Until the end, Li Zicheng was not able to enter Kaifeng City or cross the city wall even half a step.

Kaifeng City was finally submerged because the Yellow River broke its embankment and the flood overturned.

The martyrdom lies with the generals, and the loyalty and courage lies with the people.

The loyalty of the Bian people will not be lost to the bandits, but will eventually be lost to water.

Historically, there were not many soldiers in Kaifeng City. There were only two additional battalions of soldiers and horses under Chen Yongfu and Gao Qian, and their combat power was extremely limited.

No matter what, they could not withstand the hundreds of thousands of troops under Li Zicheng's command.

The reason why Kaifeng City has been able to hold on for these long nineteen months is that it has always stood in the central area surrounded by thieves.

Among them, the person with the greatest credit is named Wang Xie.

Although Wang Xie is still just a small county magistrate, he is not taken seriously by others.

Wang Xie was the county magistrate of Xiangfu, and Xiangfu was Fuguo County in Kaifeng.

Before Kaifeng was besieged, Wang Xie was ordered to lead 500 militiamen into the city to assist in defense.

Xiangfu County has actually been abandoned. Gao Mingheng, who was defeated in the Zhengzhou battlefield, placed Gao Qian and others in Xiangfu County, just treating a dead horse as a living horse doctor.

Chen Wang's eyes slowly swept over Gao Mingheng's side. The civil servants standing beside Gao Mingheng were all wearing scarlet robes without exception, and there was no green robe civil servant.

Civil servants of the first to fourth grades wear crimson robes, while officials of the fifth to seventh grades wear green robes. Wang Xie is naturally also wearing a green robe and is not among them.

According to Wang Xie's current status, he is indeed not qualified to stand by Gao Mingheng's side.

Not seeing Wang Xie did not make Chen Wang feel any disappointment.

Regarding Wang Xie, Chen Wang had no idea of ​​recruiting him, and even if he wanted to recruit him, there was no possibility of recruiting him.

Although now Chen Wang has become the commander-in-chief of a town and a general with a seal.

But Wang Xie was a civil servant with a serious academic background.

In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the nobles and the military had a long-lasting relationship. Even if the situation is now corrupt and the status of military commanders has been improved, it is still difficult to change the long-standing concept.

Most civil servants looked down upon the military attaches with great contempt and showed little respect, so how could they possibly recruit them.

Chen Wang wanted to use the method Wang Xie had used, not Wang Xie himself.

Chen Wang calmly withdrew his gaze and pretended to frown, looking embarrassed.

As expected, Gao Mingheng fell into the trap, and he couldn't help but feel even more anxious, and said urgently.

"There is no room for failure in the important town of Kaifeng. If General Chen needs it, there is no harm in asking."

Chen Wang's eyes moved slightly, but he remained calm.

Gao Mingheng's urgency was completely beneath his status, and he even said things that could never be said in official circles.

But it is natural to think about it. As a civil servant with no knowledge of military affairs, he faced hundreds of thousands of rogue bandits, and those rogue bandits also attacked Luoyang, which was also a big city.

Without Liu Shen Wuzhu, one can already be said to be solemn.

"Your Majesty, the Governor, has made a serious statement. Defending the city and protecting the land is our duty as military ministers. How dare we ask for anything else."

The goal had been achieved, so Chen Wang stopped being pretentious and followed Gao Mingheng's words.

"The general's expression of embarrassment is just because he did not expect that there would be so few troops in Kaifeng City, which is quite different from what I had expected."

"The army of ten thousand thieves is huge and fierce. This time they conquer Luoyang and shake Zhongzhou. It is the time when the momentum is like a rainbow."

Chen Wang paused, leaned forward, got a little closer to Gao Mingheng, and lowered his voice.

"It is indeed difficult to defend Kaifeng with the existing troops alone."

Gao Mingheng's body stiffened slightly and his expression became increasingly ugly.

How could he, as a patrol inspector, not know about such a thing?

These days, he has been coordinating and arranging all the affairs in the city. Although Chen De was handling most of the military affairs, he got the details from various reports.

The combat strength of the civilian population to assist in the defense is almost negligible, and the militiamen in the city are also of no use. They are all improvised goods.

The defenders were slightly better, but only slightly.

Although the guards of Prince Zhou's Mansion looked majestic, none of them had ever been on the battlefield, and most of their armors were decorative armors.

It looks glamorous, but in fact the protection is extremely limited.

As a vassal king, he is indeed allowed to have a certain number of guards.

However, the number and armament of the guards are extremely strictly controlled.

There are policies and measures to counter.

Eating empty pay and drinking the blood of soldiers has been a common practice for a long time.

The corruption of the military system caused the camps and towns to decay.

The weight of civil servants makes military officers humble.

Political corruption corrupts the military.

Originally, the only thing that could be relied upon in Kaifeng City was the guerrilla camp under Chen De.

"but……"

Chen Wang looked at the change of expression on Gao Mingheng's face and knew that the heat had come, so he continued immediately.

"The current situation is not unsolvable. When the general was in Hanzhong Mansion in the past, he was also besieged by several times more rogue bandits, but he still defended the city."

"It's just this way..."

Gao Mingheng's expression changed from gloomy to clear again, and he said immediately.

"If General Chen has a way to defend the city, it's okay to talk about it."

Chen Wang raised his head and glanced at the officials around Gao Mingheng.

"As a military minister, the last general only understands military affairs and not government affairs. In the past, in Hanzhong Mansion, he also relied on the help of prefecture and county officials to defend Hanzhong. This time to defend Kaifeng, we also need the help of the Governor and everyone."

Chen Wang knew his identity very well, and his purpose was only to ask for military power.

In terms of government affairs, taking over now will not bring much benefit at all. It will also step on the minefields of civilian officials and the Ming court.

Taking over all military and government affairs, could it be that they want to separate the country?

Chen Wang's words were modest and courteous, and all the civil servants were quite impressed. Although they did not agree, they all had kind faces.

"If the general guessed correctly, most of the people to assist in defense should be recruited from various places."

Gao Mingheng frowned slightly, then nodded and answered.

"Indeed."

The recruitment of civilians to assist in defense has always been announced by the government and directly mobilized from various places. Speaking of it, it is indeed a forced recruitment.

"Assisting the defense of Minzhuang actually does not play much role in defending the city. On the contrary, sometimes it will have a big counter-effect. The general hopes that the inspector can disband all the Minzhuang who have been forced to levy."

"Disband the Association to Defend the People and Strengthen the People's Strength?"

Gao Mingheng's expression changed slightly and he hesitated.

"There are already insufficient troops in the city. If there is no support from the people to defend the city, wouldn't the power to defend the city be even more scarce?"

Gao Mingheng's answer was within Chen Wang's expectation.

"So what the last general said was to disband the strong people who were forcibly conscripted."

Chen Wang looked at Gao Mingheng and said seriously. "Forcing the people to strengthen their defense will only alienate the soldiers and people in the city."

"In a military war, if the top and bottom are united, the three armies can work together."

"To help defend the people and strengthen their recruitment, we can inform them with emotion, move them with reason, and lure them with benefits."

"The people are not strong enough to go to the front line. They only carry the defense weapons in the city, transport weapons and supplies, and serve as auxiliary troops. According to what they have done, they will be given corresponding rewards. The rewards can be meager, but they must be there."

For officials such as Gao Mingheng, their choices cannot be wrong in many cases because they are limited by the limitations of the times.

It was indeed normal in this era to collect corvees and recruit strong people to help defend the city.

"The city of Luoyang was destroyed and Zhengzhou was defeated. The people in the city were panicked. There were also many refugees who had come to the city to seek help. A piece of cake and a sip of water could not only solve their urgent needs, but also keep them stable. Don't worry about not being able to raise funds. people."

Gao Mingheng's frown relaxed. He didn't understand military affairs.

Chen Wang's words were so conclusive, coupled with the great victories he had won in various places, that he couldn't help but be convinced.

"General Chen, what you said is indeed reasonable. We will follow this example when recruiting people to assist the defense and support the people."

"However, the current garrison force in the city is already weak. Even if General Chen's subordinates are added, it is still not enough to defend the four cities. The people who assist the defense cannot reach the front line. Relying on the existing force alone..."

What Chen Wang was waiting for was Gao Mingheng's question. What he wanted to propose was the method of recruiting troops proposed by Wang Xie in history.

"Relying on the existing forces alone to defend Kaifeng is naturally insufficient, so the general has another way."

"any solution?"

"Organize and train social soldiers."

"Social soldiers?"

Gao Mingheng looked confused. He didn't understand what Chen Wang was talking about.

The so-called social soldiers were exactly the method proposed by Wang Xie when the rogue army invaded Kaifeng City in history.

It was precisely because of these soldiers that Kaifeng City stood firm on the land of Henan and blocked the hundreds of thousands of troops under Li Zicheng for nineteen months.

"The so-called social soldiers are actually more appropriately called square soldiers."

"There are as many societies as there are in the city, and one society is established in each village."

"According to the amount of assets, the richer you are, the more troops you will send. Several households of poor people will send one soldier together. Hundreds of people will be trained in each farm, and they will be combined into five main societies and defended separately in the five gates."

Gao Mingheng looked puzzled and asked.

"Isn't this kind of mobilization the same as the previous mobilization of militiamen to assist in defense?"

Chen Wang shook his head and said.

"Every time an army of ten thousand thieves enters a city, they kill the rich households in the city. This matter does not need to be publicized, and it has already been known to the world."

"This time thousands of thieves are advancing on Kaifeng, the wealthy households in the city must be panicked and eager to seek protection. If we recruit social soldiers at this time, they will not only not oppose it, but will support it."

Gao Mingheng stared silently. These days, the wealthy households in the city were indeed in a panic. Many even wanted to escape from Kaifeng and flee to other places.

There are also many people who come to inquire about the situation through various connections, wanting to know whether Kaifeng can be defended.

"Militia are being trained all over the states and counties, mostly to cope with government orders. There are so many people who pretend to be useless, and they are useless at all."

"Social soldiers are different."

"If Kaifeng is destroyed, what awaits those wealthy households is their extermination. They have no choice."

"And ordinary people are also afraid of war disasters. We only need a little publicity to make them share our hatred."

"When facing an enemy on the battlefield, in order to protect their home and city, social soldiers must be tenacious and resist tenaciously, and will not give up easily."

Chen Wang took half a step back and said in a deep voice.

"The enemy is strong and we are weak. Only by uniting as one can we defeat the enemy."

"The biggest advantage of recruiting social soldiers is that military pay, food and grass can all be provided by the army dispatching factory."

"In this way, without spending half a penny on food and money, we can obtain nearly 10,000 social soldiers to protect the city and the people."

Chen Wang's last words completely moved Gao Mingheng.

Following the lessons learned from Luoyang City, I am afraid that no one among the wealthy clan members in Kaifeng City would dare to hold on to their money.

"There are eighty-four houses in the city of Kaifeng. Based on this, there are eighty-four societies. Each society organizes a hundred soldiers, and the number of soldiers is 8,400."

"As a result, the defense force has doubled out of thin air, and the combat power is several times stronger than before."

Gao Mingheng thought for a moment and already had a plan in mind. He felt that what Chen Wang said was indeed feasible.

"The combat power of the social soldiers must be far better than that of the militia. Please rest assured, Lord Inspector. The general has been ordered to rectify the guards and has a lot of research on military training."

Gao Mingheng naturally would not question this.

The name of a person, the shadow of a tree.

As Chen Wang gradually became famous, various rumors appeared one after another, and many previous military newspapers and letters were also circulated.

Among them, a letter written by Cao Wenzhao in reply to Hong Chengchou is even more widely known.

Relying on that sentence, Chen Wang, just like the Zhejiang soldiers in the past, fully understood its form and meaning, and subsequently asked Sun Chuanting for the right to rectify the military affairs of the Hanzhong Guards.

Chen Wang was known for being good at military training, and Gao Mingheng naturally knew it.

In Wengcheng, these elites who have fought hundreds of battles are now even more calm. Gao Mingheng is very calm.

Gao Mingheng stepped forward, held Chen Wang's hands, and said solemnly.

"In this way, Kaifeng's military affairs will be entrusted to General Chen."

Chen Wang's eyes narrowed slightly, his face showed a solemn look, he bowed his head and said equally solemnly.

"The final general will definitely work hard to repel the invading enemy and live up to the entrustment of the Governor."

Regarding the social soldiers, Chen Wang actually has a lot to say that he has not yet finished.

But there was no need to mention these words to Gao Mingheng.

Originally, in history, the social soldiers, the presidents and vice-presidents of branches, and the president of the head office were all managed by famous people in each society.

But this time, Chen Wang naturally would not stipulate this.

The powerful social soldiers in Kaifeng City will be firmly in his hands this time.

"Ten thousand thieves will be approaching the city soon, and the military situation is like a fire. The general will take over the military affairs in the city first, recruit social soldiers and other matters, so I ask the Governor to spend more time."

Chen Wang ended the topic and brought it to military affairs, and Gao Mingheng did not continue to ask.

They had already wasted a lot of time in Wengcheng.

Gao Mingheng led a group of civil servants to come and leave Wengcheng in a mighty manner.

The generals who originally followed Gao Mingheng, including Chen De, did not leave with Gao Mingheng, but stayed in Wengcheng.

The military power of Kaifeng City has actually been transferred at this moment, and now Chen Wang has become the military director of Kaifeng City.

Chen Wang mounted his horse again, and all the generals in Kaifeng City and the cavalry under Chen Wang also jumped on their horses.

The closed gates in the urn city have already been opened.

Chen Wang's eyes were as bright as a torch, staring ahead.

The gate of Wengcheng is opened, and looking out through the corridor of the gate, you can see the orderly streets and densely packed buildings.

"Enter the city!"

Chen Wang raised the riding whip in his hand and pressed it forward slightly, and the three thousand armored cavalry behind him were already moving with a roar.

(End of this chapter)